Dispensing apparatus



July 26, 1966 wl C. BARNARD ETAL 3,262,604

DI SPENS ING APPARATUS 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Filed Nov. l, 1964 July 26, 1966 w. c. BARNARD ETAL 3,252,604

DI SPENS ING APPARATUS Z Sheets-Sheet a Filed Novv 16, 1964 United States Patent I 3,262,604 DISPENSING APPARATUS Walter C. Barnard, St. Paul, and Iva] Gene Dutcher,

White Bear Lake, Minn., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,339 Claims. (Cl. 222-76) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and in particular to apparatus for dispensing detergent and the like in automatic washing devices such as dishwashers.

In automatic dishwashers and the like, it is desirable to provide means for dispensing detergent into the dishwashing liquid at preselected times and in preselected quantities. The known dispensing devices for this purpose have several disadvantages. Illustratively, certain ofthe known devices are provided with mechanical latch means which because of the moving parts thereof often require servicing and maintenance. Further, such mechanical latching devices are relatively noisy in operation. Another disadvantage of theknown dispensers is the failure thereof to completely seal the detergent holding chambers until such time as it is desired to introduce the detergent into the washing liquid, so that some washing liquid may enter the chamber and cause premature delivery of the detergent into the washing liquid. Further, certain of the known dispensers have relatively complicated means for mounting the dispenser closure on the dispenser body. Still further, in certain of the dispensing devices incomplete removal of the detergent results by reason of failure to direct the washing liquid positively into the storing chamber for effective complete removal of the detergent therefrom. Still further, in certain of the known devices it is difficult to accurately measure the quantity of detergent placed therein by inspecting the level within the holding chamber, and, thus, resort to utilization of measuring cups and the like must be taken.

The present invention comprehends an improved dispensing apparatus eliminating the above discussed disadvantages of the known dispensing apparatus. Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved dispensing apparatus.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a dispensing lapparatus arranged for improved dispensing of detergent and the like in automatic apparatus such as dishwashers.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such an apparatus having new and improved means for selectively retaining the dispenser door in closed position 4of such apparatus wherein the door holding means comprises an improved magnetic holding means.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such apparatus wherein the door is secured to the dispenser body by new and improved hinge means effectively precluding premature delivery of the material to be dispensed.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such apparatus having new and improved means for guiding liquid into the material holding chamber of the dispenser for improved positive delivery of the entire quantity of the material into the liquid.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of such an apparatus having new and improved means for visually indicating the quantity of material disposed within the dispenser chamber for facilitated measuring thereof.

Other features and advantages of theinvention will be "ice apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a dishwashing apparatus having a dispensing apparatus embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the dispensing apparatus as mounted in a portion of the dishwasher door;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the dispensing apparatus installed in a portion of the dishwasher door;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevation thereof with one of the dispensers in a closed position and the otherof the dispensers in an open position;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sec-tion taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5 but with the door of the dispenser illustrated in a partially opened position in broken lines, the movement of the door being limited by the engagement thereof by a dishwasher rack shown in broken lines; and

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 8 8 of FIGURE 5.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a dishwashing apparatus generally designated 10 is shown to comprise a housing 11 defining a dishwasher space v12 having disposed therein suitable conventional racks 13 for holding dishes and the like during a washing operation. The dishwashing space 12 is provided with a front opening 14 which is selectively closed by a hinged closure 15. A dispensing apparatus generallyv designated 16 embodying the invention is carried on the rear surface 17 of the closure 15 for selectively dispensing detergent `and the like into the dishwashing space 12. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the dispensing apparatus 16 includes a pair of substantially identical dispensers 18 and 19. For facilitated disclosure of the invention, the description will be limited to dispenser 18 only, it being understood that dispenser 19 is similar to and functions in a similar manner as dispenser 18. The portions of dispenser 19 corresponding to disclosed portions of dispenser 18 are identified by similar reference numerals but with a prime sufiix.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 3 through 8, dispenser 18 is shown to comprise a body 20 formed of a suitable material, such as a moldable plastic. The body 20 defines a material holding chamber 21 divided by a central short wall 22 into tw-o compartments 23 and 24. The chamber 21 is provided with a front opening 25 which is selectively closed by a door 26 hingedly mounted on the body 20 for movement between a closed position as shown relative to dispenser 18 in FIGURE 5, and an open position as shown relative `to dispenser 19 therein. As shown in FIGURE l, the dispensing apparatus 16 is mounted on dishwasher closure 15 so that the doors 26 and 26 are uppermost whereby the chamber 21 may open upwardly in thisV position to receive detergent and the like. The doors 26 and 26 are then swung to a closed position, as shown in FIGUE l, to retain the detergent within the chamber, permitting the closure 15 to be swung to a closed position wherein the dispensing apparatus is vertically disposed to confront the dishwasher space 12 as shown in FIGURE 7.

The Ibody 20 is provided with depending lugs 27 arranged to seat on a recessed flange 28 of the dishwasher closure 15, screws 29 being inserted through the flange 28 and threaded into the lugs 27 to retain the dispensing apparatus 16 fiXedly on the closure 15 with the body 20 pro- ]ecting through an opening 30 defined by the flange 28.

To preclude leakage of dishwashing liquids and the like to behind the body 20, the body is further provided with a peripheral rearwardly opening groove 32 in which is disposed a sealing element 33 engaging the closure 15. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the flange 31 and sealing element 33 extend peripherally about the entire dispensing apparatus 16.

The door 26 is connected to the body 20 by an integral hinged connection 34. The body and door may lbe formed of a suitable resilient molded plastic with the hinge 34 being molded integrally therewith, wherebly the entire assembly of the body 20, door 26, and hinge 34 comprises a one-piece structure.

The door 26 is biased to opened position by a coil spring 35 surrounding a hinge pin 36 carried on three lugs 37 extending forwardly from the body adjacent the upper edge thereof. The mid-portion 38 of the spring is formed to extend laterally therefrom into engagement with the door and the end portions 39 of the spring are turned to extend about the end lugs 37. The springis suitably arranged to provide a bias force on the mid-portion 38 to urge it in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 6, tending to swing the dispenser door 26 in a clockwise direction, i.e. to the dotted line position of FIGURE 7.

The dispensing apparatus 16 further includes means for holding each of the doors 26 and 26 in the closed position until such time as it is desired to dispense the material held within the chamber thereof into the dishwasher. space 12. Herein, the door holding means comprises a magnetic device including a permeable member 40, illustratively a stainless steel washer, secured to the underside of the door by a oating-mount means 41. As shown, mount means 41 includes a shoulder screw 41a threaded into an outwardly projecting boss 41b on the doors 26 and 26 and loosely passing through an aperture 40a in the member 40. The body 20= is provided with a depending apron portion 42 in which is molded a pair of spaced pole pieces 43 and 44, the gap between which is bridged by the member 40 when the door 26 is in the closed position, as shown in FIGURES 5, 6 and 8.

As shown, the pole pieces 43 and 44 extend substantially forwardly of the apron portion 42 of body 20. The loose mounting of the permeable washers 40 on the doors 26 and 26 permits the members 40 to adjust themselves for good Contact with the ends of the pole pieces 43 and 44. Further, the substantial outward extension of the pole pieces assures good contact between member 40 and the pole pieces by substantially eliminating the possibility of detergent build-up between the pole pieces to a point where the seating of the member 40 on the pole pieces is effected. Still further, the substantial outward extension of the pole pieces permits a facilitated manufacture of the dispensing apparatus as it effectively minimizes effects of production tolerances as conventionally employed in plastic molded parts such as employed in the dispensing apparatus.

As best seen in FIGURE 8, pole pieces 43 and 44 extend rearwardly through the apron and a permanent magnet 45 is secured between the rear ends of the pole pieces by suitable means such as screw 46 and nut 47. Thus, when the door 16 is closed, as shown in FIGURE 8, a complete magnetic loop is provided from the permanent magnet, through one pole piece, the permeable member 40, and the other pole piece back to the magnet.

The release of the door from the closed position of FIGURE 6 to the open position of FIGURE 7 is effected herein by means inducing in the magnetic loop a flux opposite to the ux produced by the permanent magnet 45 and having a suficient strength to reduce the magnetic holding action on the member 40 to a value below that whereby the spring 35 may urge the door to the open position. More specifically, herein a coil 48 is disposed about one of the pole pieces, illustratively pole piece 43, between the magnet 45 and the apron 42. The coil 48 is connected by suitable leads 49 to suitable terminals 50 of a terminal block 51 carried on the rear of the body 20 intermediate the dispenser portions 18 and 19. A suitable electrical current is applied through the leads 49 to the coil by a control 52 to induce in the magnetic loop the counteracting ux permitting the opening of the door. Preferably, the flux does not completely counterbalance the flux of the permanent magnet so that demagnetizing of the magnet is effectively precluded.

When the door 26 is released, it moves in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE'7. The invention comprehends the arrangement of the dispensing apparatus 16 on the dishwasher closure 15 in a position such that the door 26 (and door 26') abuts the dishwasher rack 13 when the door 26 is pivoted to a partially open position, extending approximately at a 45 degree angle to the vertical, as shown in FIGURE 7. Thusly disposed, the door 26 acts as a deflector for guiding the dishwashing liquid upwardly into the chamber 21 to provide improved complete flushing of the chamber and positive removal of the detergent material therefrom.

In operation, the user firstly places a desired quantity of detergent or the like in the chamber 21. The dividing wall 22 may be used to indicate visually to the user the quantity of detergent placed in the chamber permitting the user to adjust the quantity, such as to correspond to different water hardness requirements. The user may place a suitable quantity of detergent in the first dispenser 18 as for use vin a rst Washing cycle and concurrently piace a second quantity of detergent in the second dispenser 19 as for use in a second washing cycle. The doors 26 and 26 are then closed and the closure 15 of the dishwasher pivoted to the upright position wherein it closes the dishwasher space 12 with the dispensing apparatus 16 thusly being arranged to confront the dishwasher space.

At the ltime in the dishwashing cycle when it is. desired to introduce detergent into the dishwashing liquid, the control 52 provides a preselected current to the coil 48, thereby vitiating the holding force of the .permanent magnet and permitting the door 26 of the dispenser 18 to swing upwardly exposing the chamber 21 to the Washing liquid within the dishwasher space 12. The washing liquid is -conventionally thrown upwardly by suitable liquid propelling means (not shown) in the dishwasher and is guided by the door 26 into the chamber 21 to ush the detergent therefrom.

At a subsequent point in the dishwashing cycle when it is desired to deliver the second quantity of detergent from the dispenser 19 into the dishwashing liquid, the control 52 suitably energizes the coil 45 of dispenser 18 permitting the door 26' thereof to open and permi-t the dishwashing liquid to flush the detergent from the chamber 21. The -dispensing apparatus 16 is extremely simple and economical of construction. The improved door holding mechanism is extremely quiet in operation, and as it has no moving parts provides long trouble-free life. The extension of the hinge along the entire upper edge of the doors and the integral molding thereof with the body and doors effectively precludes `entry of washing liquid and the like downwardly into the detergent holding chambers and thereby effectively precludes premature dispensing of the detergent into the washing liquid. The door arrangement in cooperative association with the conventional dishwasher racks provides a unique liquid guiding action, assuring positive detergent dispensing. The arrangement of the dispenser body with the dividing wall therein provides facilitated visual determination of the quantity of detergent permitting the user to adjust the quantity suitably, such as for accommodation to the speeic characteristics of the water supply.

While we have shown and described one embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

means on said door and said chamber means defining a magnetic circuit for holding said door across said opening against the force of said biasing means; and

means for selectively providing a magnetic ux in said magnetic circuit in opposition to the iiux thereof and having a preselected magnitude for overcoming said magnetic means to allow said biasing means to move said door from said opening and expose the chamber to said receiving space.

2. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnetic circuit means comprises a pair of pole pieces carried by one of said door and said chamber means, a permanent magnet extending pole-to-pole between said pole pieces, a permeable element, means for mounting said permeable element on the other of said door and chamber means to have limited adjustable movement for adjustably disposing said permeable element across the gap between said pole pieces when the door is arranged across said opening, said pole pieces, magnet and permeable element defining a closed magnetic loop when the door is so disposed across the opening, a coil extending around a portion of the magnetic loop, and means for selectively causing a current to ow through the coil :to produce in the magnetic loop a ux opposing the flux induced therein by the permanent magnet.

3. The dispensing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said element mounting means includes a secu-ring element -xed in said door and an aperture in said permeable element with said securing element loosely received therein.

'4. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chamber means includes wall means having a front edge dening said opening an apron portion extending laterally away from said wall means rearwardly of said edge, said magnetic circuit means comprises a pair of pole pieces tixedly secured in said apron to have a front portion projecting to forwardly of said edge and exposed to said receiving space, said permanent magnet disposed behind the apron, a permeable element carried by said guide of said door -to be disposed across the gap between said pole pieces when the door is arranged across said opening, said pole pieces, magnet and permeable element deiining a closed magnetic loop when the door is so disposed across the opening, and said ux providing means comprises a coil extending around a portion of the magnetic loop and means for selectively causing a current to flow through the coil to produce in the magnetic loop a iiux opposing the tiux induced therein by the permanent magnet.

5. Apparatus for dispensing material to a receiving space, comprising:

means dening a chamber having a front opening; a door; means hingedly mounting said door on said chamber means above said opening to extend selectively downwardly across said opening; means biasing said door away from said opening; magnetic means on said door and said chamber means for holding said door across said opening against the force of said biasing means; means for selectively overcoming said magnetic means to allow said biasing means to move said door from said opening and expose the chamber to said receiving space; and

means in said receiving space disposed in front of said opening for limiting the movement of said door to a downwardly inclined position whereby the door may serve as a guide leading upwardly into said chamber.

6. Apparatus for dispensing detergent and the like to the ldishwashing space 4of an automatic dishwasher, comprising:

means defining a chamber having a front opening;

a closure for selectively closing the dishwasher space;

means mounting the chamber means on the closure with said front opening directed toward said receiving space when the closure is arranged to close said receiving space;

a door;

means hingedly mounting said door on said chamber means above said opening to extend selectively downwardly across said opening;

means biasing said door away from said opening;

magnetic means on said door and said chamber means for holding said door across said opening against the force of said :biasing means;

means for selectively overcoming sai-d magnetic means to allow said biasing means to move said door from said opening and expose the chamber to said receiving space; and

a dishwasher rack in said receiving space disposed in front of said chamber means opening when the closure is arranged to close said receiving space for limiting the movement of said chamber means door to a downwardly inclined position whereby the door may serve to guide dishwashing liquid upwardly into said chamber.

7. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means is arranged to mount said door above said opening for hinged movement of the door about a horizontal axis.

8. The dispensing apparatus of claim 7 further including means for selectively limiting the movement of said door to a position forwardly of the chamber wherein said chamber is accessible from below the door.

9. The dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chamber means includes a partition wall effectively dividing said chamber into a pair of material holding portions.

10. Apparatus for dispensing material to a receiving space, comprising:

means defining a chamber having a front opening;

a door;

means hingedly mounting said door on said chamber means above said opening to extend selectively downwardly across said opening;

means biasing said door aWay from said opening;

magnetic means on said door and said chamber means for holding -said door across said opening against the force of said biasing means; and

means for selectively overcoming said magnetic, means to allow said biasing means -to move said door from said opening and expose the chamber to said receiving space, said door mounting means comprising a exible member integrally joined to said chamber means and said door along subtantially the entire upper portion of the door to preclude entry of material therebetween into said opening.

References Cited by the Exmer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,253,252 8/ 1941 Smith 292-2515 X 2,888,290 5/ 1959 Pierce 292-2515 FOREIGN PATENTS- 1,274,561 9/1961 France.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL TO A RECEIVING SPACE, COMPRISING: MEANS DEFINING A CHAMBER HAVING A FRONT OPENING; A DOOR; MEANS HINGEDLY MOUNTED SAID DOOR ON SAID CHAMBER MEANS OPENING TO EXTEND SELECTIVELY ACROSS SAID OPENING; MEANS BIASING SAID DOOR AWAY FROM SAID OPENING AND TO A FULLY OPENED POSITION; MEANS ON SAID DOOR AND SAID CHAMBER MEANS DEFINING A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT FOR HOLDING SAID DOOR ACROSS SAID OPENING AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID BIASING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PROVIDING A MAGNETIC FLUX IN SAID MAGNETIC CIRCUIT IN OPPOSITION TO THE FLUX THEREOF AND HAVING A PERSELECTED MAGNITUDE FOR OVERCOMING SAID MAGNETIC MEANS TO ALLOW SAID BIASING MEANS TO MOVE SAID DOOR FROM SAID OPENING AND EXPOSE THE CHAMBER TO SAID RECEIVING SPACE. 